Roman Space Telescope Beats Image-Quality Forecast by 30% After 63-Nanometer Alignment
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Oct 17
Roman Space Telescope Beats Image-Quality Forecast by 30% After 63-Nanometer Alignment
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Oct 17
Summary
NASA said Roman’s Wide Field Instrument now delivers image quality nearly 30% better than predicted, with optical error cut to 63 nanometers RMS from a 90-nanometer prelaunch requirement.
A secondary-mirror shift of about one-sixteenth the width of a human hair brought the telescope into near-perfect alignment after engineers activated and tested detectors, filters, calibration LEDs and thermal controls.
The coronagraph, which had been slightly out of focus, now meets performance targets; engineers will next tune its deformable mirrors and test its ability to block unwanted light.
Roman launched on Aug. 30, and NASA said the result validates ground testing because both science instruments are now meeting or exceeding expectations ahead of routine cosmic surveys.